Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting
02/06/2012 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Perhaps the AFC needs some new blood.
That was my prevailing thought after last night's highly entertaining Super Bowl, the New York Giants' second with Eli Manning under center in the last five seasons. Perhaps Peyton is Eli's brother, not vice versa.
The large takeaway was the playoff dominance of New England, Indianapolis and Pittsburgh over the last nine seasons. The trio has won five Super Bowls and been to four others. Tom Brady, Ben Roethlisberger and Peyton Manning are a large reason why no other team has represented the AFC since Oakland in Super Bowl XXXVII.
Yet, what does that say about Philip Rivers, Joe Flacco, Mark Sanchez and others? Maybe the ACC is lacking a true contender to the dominance, or maybe this was the final stand and we have already seen the last of Indy's run as presently constructed, while Tom Brady (age 34) is entering the twilight of his career.
It is an interesting thought on the AFC power structure as the Giants celebrate once again. It is also the perfect segue to what happens next in sports. College basketball is primed to take over the nation's collective conscience with March's madness just over one month away.
It's time to catch up. From the End of the Bench is here to help with a six- pack look back at what you've missed while mesmerized by the NFL season.
1. Frank Haith is no longer hated in Columbia. First thought to be a controversial, bottom-of-the-barrel hire by Tigers fans, it has turned out to be a stroke of genius. Granted the former Miami coach inherited a pantry full of weapons, but he has coached to the players' strengths and given a four- guard attack complete decision-making power on the floor. Missouri stormed back again in the face of adversity Saturday night at Kansas, erasing an eight-point deficit in the final two-plus minutes to shock the Jayhawks. Missouri is not only one of the season's best stories; it is a legit national title contender.
2. Murray State still hasn't lost. The Racers are 23-0 thanks to the never- say-die attitude of guards Isaiah Cannon and Donte Poole. They beat some quality clubs back in November-December, downing Dayton, UAB and Memphis, and have weathered best shot after best shot during conference play. There are still two games left against Tennessee State, one against Tennessee Tech and a BracketBusters showdown with Saint Mary's, so the unblemished regular-season mark is far from a sure thing. No matter what, though, Murray State's place in March is locked up.
3. Speaking of mid-majors, ESPN's made-for-TV BracketBusters matchups were released last week, and you should be glued to the tube in an attempt to catch up on some great stories, and possible glass-slipper candidates. Northern Iowa, fresh off a 65-62 victory over Creighton this past weekend, travels to VCU on Friday, February 17. A win by either team doesn't solidify an at-large berth, but the loser is likely out of the conversation (Northern Iowa would still likely have to win the Missouri Valley's automatic bid). As mentioned above, Saint Mary's travels to Murray in a game more for tournament seeding and unbeaten intrigue than anything else. I can't wait to watch the Gaels' Matthew Dellavedova against Cannon and Rob Jones squaring off against the Racers' Ivan Aska in the paint. I'm also really looking forward to Long Beach State-Creighton. If you haven't seen the Bluejays' Doug McDermott, tune in. He is a scoring machine, national player of the year candidate and a guard who can carry a team on his back into March's second weekend. Long Beach State's Casper Ware is also no slouch. The 49ers have a solid mid-30s RPI and are unbeaten in the Big West, but a win here would solidify an at-large berth.
4. The Pac-12 is vying for a dubious distinction. A power conference has never sent just one team to the NCAA Tournament, but it's tough to find a worthy at- large team in the bunch. Stanford had the best non-league profile, but has vanished into thin air with four losses in five games. California has the moniker of a "good team," but the profile doesn't match the description. Washington has a league-leading 9-2 mark, but its best out-of-conference win is... Georgia State? The Huskies don't have a top-50 win and lost at home by 19 to South Dakota State. It will be interesting to watch if one team starts to separate itself in the league race. A 13-win conference slate could be enough for the Huskies, Bears or Arizona Wildcats if another team steals the conference tourney.
5. Notre Dame is BURNING hot. The Irish are back to running head coach Mike Brey's BURN offense, which in principle is exactly how it sounds. They take 20 to 25 seconds off the shot clock before starting their offensive end, limiting the number of overall possessions and controlling the tempo. Notre Dame is just a half-game out of second place in the Big East, which is a minor miracle considering sharpshooter Tim Abromaitis suffered a season-ending injury early in the season. The Irish have won four straight, including wins over Syracuse, Connecticut and a 17-point drubbing of previous second-place holder Marquette.
6. When assessing the national title contenders, one name stands above the rest: Ohio State. Yes, I'm well aware (and you should be to) of Kentucky's dominant defense, North Carolina's top scoring offense, Missouri's guards, Syracuse's depth (especially with Fab Melo back in the fold), but no team has the balance and adaptability of the Buckeyes. Ohio State played Wisconsin's game on Saturday in Madison and still came out on top. The reason is simple: the Buckeyes have Jared Sullinger. He scored 24 points with 10 rebounds and three steals while playing from tip to final buzzer. Ohio State can win a drag-out fight because of the first-team All-American and can hang in transition because of William Buford and Aaron Craft. Speaking of Craft, he is the front man on the stingiest per-possession defense in the country. Ohio State allows a ridiculous .77 points per trip. It also doesn't turn the ball over. It handles the backboards. It is comfortable playing fast, slow, on the road or at home. It is the nation's most complete team as of February 6th.
FINE 15
1. Ohio State (20-3): I was left so impressed by the Buckeyes' road win in Madison, that I vaulted them to the top position. The stats above illustrate a team with marginal holes at best, which is more than I can say for any other contender at the moment.
2. Kentucky (23-1): Kentucky can block (and alter) shots. It is receiving scoring (finally!) from Terrence Jones, but the Wildcats still can't score consistently from the perimeter, and I have the feeling that March will show the SEC to be a notch below the Big Ten this season.
3. Syracuse (23-1): Big rivalry week for the Orange with Georgetown and Connecticut. There is plenty of good news around both games. Melo is back in the fold, both games are at the Carrier Dome, and the Hoyas and Huskies haven't exactly been lighting up the scoreboard as of late.
4. North Carolina (20-3): Gutty. And that's not a word anyone could associate with the Tar Heels this season. Yet, in an eight-point hole on the road at desperate Maryland, the Tar Heels dug deep and hit the backboards. Harrison Barnes is still hobbling. His health will be a big deal with Duke on the docket this week.
5. Missouri (21-2): If that was the last Border War in Columbia, what a way for the Tigers to go out (and into the SEC). Marcus Denmon finally got back on track, draining three treys in the final 2:05 to push the Tigers to victory. He scored 29 points due in large part to a week of work. Haith said after the game, "Marcus worked his tail off all week."
6. Baylor (21-2): The Bears were perhaps looking ahead to Wednesday's game against Kansas, but they persevered and won in a difficult environment. Perry Jones III again came up big with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the 64-60 victory over Oklahoma State.
7. Kansas (18-5): The Jayhawks were done in by bad shot selection down the stretch, watching Missouri score the game's final 11 points. They need to put that loss in the rearview fast with a trip to Waco this week.
8. Michigan State (18-5): Draymond Green is one tough dude. He went from crutches to the catbird seat in a matter of days. Green watched the end of a loss to Illinois after spraining his left knee, but returned to lead the Spartans to a big 64-54 victory over Michigan. He scored 14 points to go along with 16 rebounds in the win.
9. Florida (19-4): The Gators are finally in eye's view of this column after two months of doubt. That is what a seven-game winning streak will do to a team; push it into the public eye and inside the top-10. The victory over Vanderbilt was perhaps its most impressive of the stretch, considering it shot just 38 percent from the floor. This team still chucks a lot of threes and relies on just one low-post presence, but Missouri already seems to be using that recipe to success.
10. Duke (19-4): It's easy to say Duke's overtime loss to Miami was the result of two factors: 1) looking ahead to North Carolina this week and 2) getting beat by quick, athletic guards -- aka, the typical Duke loss. The first may be true, but the second definitely isn't. The Blue Devils were physically manhandled by 6-foot-10, 300-pound center Reggie Johnson. The big man scored a career-high 27 points in Miami's first-ever victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
11. Murray State (23-0): Is this position is too high? Who else would you put here? More on the Racers-Gaels BracketBusters matchup. Saint Mary's hasn't lost since December 22 (to Baylor), and KenPom.com is giving it a 51 percent chance of winning on the road. It is even in every sense of the word.
12. Creighton (21-3): It's tough to penalize the Bluejays too much for losing on the road to a desperate Northern Iowa team. So we won't. However, words to the wise: the Bluejays need to start playing better defense. They rank 122nd nationally in defensive efficiency, which is being masked at the moment by McDermott and the sixth most efficient offense.
13. UNLV (21-4): At what point does UNLV's struggles away from Vegas become a huge red flag come tournament time. I love UNLV's roster, its inside-outside balance, its mixture of veterans and youth, but the Runnin' Rebels were waxed at Wichita State and Wisconsin and are lucky to be 2-2 away from home in conference play, needing overtime to beat both Boise State and Air Force.
14. Georgetown (18-4): The Hoyas are an under-the-radar 18-4, which includes five victories in the last six games. The last two wins have been all about defense, holding UConn and South Florida to 44 and 45 points respectively. It shouldn't be a surprise then that the Hoyas are sixth nationally in defensive efficiency.
15. Florida State (16-6): Welcome to the Fine 15, Seminoles! The defense has been head coach Leonard Hamilton's bellwether since he arrived in Tallahassee, but the Seminoles finally have some shooters on the perimeter. Florida State made 5-of-12 threes in a 58-55 weekend win versus Virginia, its seventh straight W.
<< Baylor again a unanimous top choice in women's hoops
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Baylor is once again a unanimous choice as the
No. 1 team in the Associated Press women's college basketball poll.
The undefeated Lady Bears received all 40 first-place votes and a total of
1,000 points f
<< Cavs waive Thompson
Cleveland, OH (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Cleveland Cavaliers waived guard Mychel
Thompson on Monday.
The rookie played in five games this season and averaged 3.6 points and 1.4
assists in 19 minutes per game.
<< Chiefs name Daboll offensive coordinator
Kansas City, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Kansas City Chiefs hired Brian Daboll
as their new offensive coordinator on Monday.
Daboll joins Kansas City after serving as the Miami offensive coordinator in
2011. His team had a 1,000-yard r
<< Cards ink Cora to minor league deal
St. Louis, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The St. Louis Cardinals have signed infielder
Alex Cora to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.
Cora appeared in 91 games for Washington last season and batted .224. He's
also pl
Boeljon moves into top 50 in women's rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Christel Boeljon came from three strokes
back to win the Australian Ladies Masters on Sunday and that helped her jump
16 spots in this week's women's world rankings.
Boeljon, who played in her first
Lawrie, Stanley soar in world rankings >>
Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Lawrie claimed a four-shot win in
Qatar, while Kyle Stanley erased an eight-shot deficit to come from behind and
win the Phoenix Open on Sunday. With those victories, both players made big
moves i
Missouri State to visit Kansas State, Louisville >>
Springfield, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Missouri State football will open the 2012
season by visiting two FBS opponents and play five home games as part of an
11-game schedule announced Monday.
Seventh-year head coach Terry Allen and the Bears wi
Liverpool, Spurs finish goalless at Anfield >>
Liverpool, England (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Liverpool and Tottenham played to a 0-0
draw at Anfield on Monday, doing little to improve the ambitions of either
side.
The result leaves Tottenham seven points back of leaders Manchester City
The NFL preseason is approaching. Time for players, coaches and teams to turn over a new leaf. General managers have hired some new coaches, while coaches have added some offensive and defensive assistants to try and improve things. Here’s a look at some changes to look for in the preseason.
New York Jets: The Jets were one of the surprise teams in the NFL last season, making the playoffs under hard-driving first-year coach Eric Mangini. Mangini rebuilt the offensive line with rookies D'Brickashaw Ferguson (the No. 4 pick in the 2007 Draft) and Ohio State center (the 29th pick in the first round). This season he upgraded the defense with rookie linebacker David Harris (Michigan) while the secondary picked up a much needed top-notch corner in Pitt CB Darrelle Revis (No. 14 overall).
The Jets have added balance to the offense for QB Chad Pennington with RB Thomas Jones, essentially stolen from the Bears. He will upgrade a New York ground game that was 20th in rushing with a weak 3.5 yards per carry. They have their first true feature back since Curtis Martin. Offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer prefers ball control, like his father Marty. In preseason, behind Pennington you’ll see second-year QB Kellen Clemens and mobile newcomer QB Marques Tuiasosopo.
Jacksonville Jaguars: The heat is on Jack Del Rio in Jacksonville as the Jaguars flopped last season despite a ton of talent. Keep in mind that under Del Rio the Jaguars have been outstanding in preseason with a 12-4 SU, 11-5 ATS August mark. online football betting Their defense is loaded, it’s the offense that has been stuck in first gear the last few years.
Enter a new offensive coordinator in Dirk Koetter, the former Boise State and Arizona State pass-happy coach. He will try and upgrade a passing game that ranked 24th last season. Del Rio has criticized wide receivers and Matt Jones this summer, both of whom have battled injuries. It will be interesting to watch the “new” Jaguars passing game in preseason.
Arizona Cardinals: Word out of Arizona is that the players like new coach Ken Whisenhunt, who was the Steelers offensive coordinator last year. We think of Arizona as all-passing because their running game has been awful of late because of a poor offensive line. However, keep an eye on the running game in preseason as they’ve made a lot of changes.
The new coach brings in Russ Grimm to coach the offensive line (Grimm did a marvelous job building the Steelers line). They took Penn State OT Levi Jones in the first round and signed two offensive linemen, Mike Gandy and Al Johnson, to provide depth. Reggie Wells was moved from right tackle to left guard and they want more speed out of the offensive line for pulling and traps, a Pittsburgh staple under Bill Cowher.
Atlanta Falcons: While all the attention has been focused on QB Mike Vick’s off-field problems, new coach Bobby Petrino is revamping the Falcons from an all-running team to a more balanced one. Petrino likes the experience of backup QB Joey Harrington and he has veteran backup Chris Redman, who used to play for Petrino at Louisville and knows his offenses better than anyone. Petrino wants Vick to be more of a pocket passer.
The addition of FB Ovie Mughelli is a sign Petrino wants a power rushing attack behind a physical fullback and newcomer WR Joe Horn should upgrade what was a below average wideout corps. Petrino is changing their old zone-blocking scheme to a more traditional in-line blocking scheme and the offensive line is bigger. Rookie DE Jamaal Anderson was grabbed in the first round and the secondary got younger with former Auburn cornerback David Irons, who the Falcons think was a steal as a sixth-round pick.
Cleveland Browns: The 2007 Browns look like a double-edged sword. There was the excitement of the offseason, trading for RB Jamel Lewis, upgrading the offensive line with Wisconsin’s Joe Thomas (the No. 2 pick in the draft) and free agent LG Eric Steinbach, then trading for Notre Dame QB Brady Quinn when he fell to No. 22. GM Phil Savage and head coach Romeo Crennel feel they have a talented, balanced offense with these new pieces, plus TE >Kellen Winslow and WR Braylon Edwards.
However, were these moves made in desperation? And were they foolish ones? The Browns gave up their 2008 first-round pick for Quinn and we all know QBs take time to develop. And even first-round QBs can be busts (Joey Harrington, Akili Smith). We also don’t know if the offensive line is that much improved (31st in rushing in 2007) and they did nothing to improve a defense that was awful against the run (142 yds pg allowed).
The Browns have a new offensive coordinator in Rob Chudzinski. This is a young offense and Quinn looked tentative, indecisive and inaccurate early in camp. Crennel will play Charlie Frye, Quinn and Derek Anderson in preseason. And there is a mixed bag for rookie QBs receiving significant starts: Tim Couch (14), Kerry Collins (13), Ben Roethlisberger (13), Vince Young (13), Joey Harrington (12), Matt Leinart (11) and Kyle Boller (nine). While all the focus will be on the Browns new-look offense, I’m more concerned with the defense.
Carolina Panthers: Coach Jon Fox loves the ground game, but Carolina has made some interesting changes for 2007. Fox fired offensive coordinator Dan Henning and brings in Jeff Davidson to run the offense. Davidson has brought in zone-blocking schemes to the Panther offense, a dramatic change for a system that's been built around a power-running style.
In zone-blocking, offensive linemen are responsible for blocking any defender who appears in their zone, instead of focusing on one defender. The Broncos and Falcons have had success with the system, which features smaller, more athletic offensive linemen and can create running lanes on the inside and outside. Keep an eye in preseason on how Carolina adjusts as it will take time to learn the system. Fox has been one of the top coaches in preseason, with a 15-5 SU, 12-7-1 ATS August record.
Dallas Cowboys: WR Terrell Owens is still here, but QB Drew Bledsoe and Bill Parcells are gone. New head coach Wade Phillips takes over, replacing Parcells. He ran the Chargers defense last season. Phillips was chosen by teary-eyed owner Jerry Jones partly because he is one of the best 3-4 coaches in football and the Cowboys have loaded up on players for that scheme.
Remember that Phillips was blitz-happy with the Chargers last season and early reports out of the Dallas camp have mentioned how the Cowboys have been blitzing a lot, a departure from Parcells. The theme of the 2007 Dallas defense appears to be one of attack.
MySportsbook is considered one of the finest football sportsbooks according to several surveys performed by independent industry analysts considering such factors as payout accuracy and timeliness, overall quality of website, and bettor satisfaction.
MySportsbook is a large company with strong financial backing. Considered the best sportsbook for betting football online You will find their customer service is second to none and their web site is extremely user friendly and easy-to-use. All major professional sports games are available. Once you signup with MySportsbook, you may never use another online sportsbook again.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your nfl football betting needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
March Madness odds and printable March Madness brackets
With the field of 64/65 set, MySportsbook.com has the Florida Gators as the 4-1 favorite to successfully defend their National Championship. Men’s Division-1 College Basketball has not seen a team repeat as National Champions since Duke won back to back championships in ’91 & ‘92. After losing three out of four late in the season, the Gators are full of momentum as they won their last four games by an average of 18 points. Not surprisingly, right behind the Gators are the other three top seeds: Kansas 5-1, UNC 6-1, and Ohio State 7-1. Many consider Kansas to be the hottest team in the country, having won 11 straight. With Kansas, it is hard to ignore all of the early exits from the “dance” in recent years. With an impressive ACC Tournament, UNC ensured themselves the other top seed. UNC has about as much talent as any other team in the tournament but with a team that’s best players are primarily freshman and sophomores, could youth be a concern. Behind freshman sensation, Greg Oden, OSU will look to do what their football team failed to do just a few months earlier. OSU seems to have peeked at the right time, as they currently have a 17 game winning streak. Since the tournament field was expanded in 1985, there has never been an instance where all four #1 seeds advanced to the Final Four. It is obvious that each of the top seeds have the talent to make it through to Atlanta. But as everyone knows, when makes the NCAA Tournament so special are all of the spoilers and “Cinderella” stories that knock off the favorites on a daily basis.
Be sure to logon to MySportsbook.com to see check out all of the early lines and “March Madness” props. Also be sure to enter the “$10,000,000 Perfect Bracket Contest”. If someone has the skills to predict every winner, they will be set for life and walk away with $10,000,000. Even if no one can cash in on the Grand Prize, with a $35,000 guaranteed prize pool and a Mazda RX-8 to the first prize winner, Sportsbook.com’s bracket is a must for all “March Madness” fans.
MySportsbook.com’s odds to win the Championship and Regions:
| EAST | National Championship | Region |
| Arkansas | 300-1 | 50-1 |
| Belmont | 1000-1 | |
| Boston College | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Eastern KY | 1000-1 | |
| George Washington | 75-1 | |
| Georgetown | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| Marquette | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Michigan State | 100-1 | 25-1 |
| New Mexico St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| UNC | 6-1 | 6-5 |
| Oral Roberts | 500-1 | |
| Texas | 15-1 | 5-1 |
| Texas Tech | 200-1 | 5-1 |
| USC | 75-1 | 20-1 |
| Vanderbilt | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Washington State | 40-1 | 15-1 |
| WEST | ||
| Duke | 50-1 | 10-1 |
| Florida A&M | 1000-1 | |
| Gonzaga | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Holy Cross | 300-1 | |
| Illinois | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Indiana | 75-1 | 40-1 |
| Kansas | 5-1 | 13-10 |
| Kentucky | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| Niagara | 1000-1 | |
| Pittsburgh | 40-1 | 8-1 |
| Southern Ill. | 50-1 | 12-1 |
| UCLA | 10-1 | 3-2 |
| VCU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Villanova | 100-1 | 40-1 |
| VA Tech | 50-1 | 15-1 |
| Weber St | 1000-1 | |
| Wright St | 1000-1 | 300-1 |
| MIDWEST | ||
| Arizona | 50-1 | 30-1 |
| Butler | 40-1 | 30-1 |
| Davidson | 300-1 | |
| Florida | 4-1 | 4-5 |
| Georgia Tech | 75-1 | 25-1 |
| Jackson State | 1000-1 | |
| Maryland | 30-1 | 6-1 |
| Miami-OH | 300-1 | |
| Notre Dame | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| ODU | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Oregon | 40-1 | 6-1 |
| Purdue | 300-1 | 60-1 |
| Texas A&M CC | 1000-1 | |
| UNLV | 100-1 | 30-1 |
| Winthrop | 500-1 | 100-1 |
| Wisconsin | 15-1 | 7-2 |
| SOUTH | ||
| Albany | 200-1 | |
| BYU | 200-1 | 40-1 |
| Central CT St. | 1000-1 | |
| Creighton | 100-1 | 35-1 |
| Long Beach St. | 500-1 | 200-1 |
| Louisville | 40-1 | 10-1 |
| Memphis | 30-1 | 4-1 |
| Nevada | 75-1 | 35-1 |
| North Texas | 500-1 | |
| Ohio State | 7-1 | 6-5 |
| Penn | 500-1 | |
| Stanford | 200-1 | 50-1 |
| Tennessee | 100-1 | 20-1 |
| Texas A&M | 12-1 | 11-5 |
| Virginia | 75-1 | 18-1 |
| Xavier | 100-1 | 40-1 |
About MySportsbook.com MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best US Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To bet on March Madness games this online sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | NFL Football Betting | College Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | College Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting